Fiction
by DayOfTheBees
Summary: We all know Fred dies. But how does George react?


**A/N - This is my first Harry Potter story I actually like. It is also on Mugglenet Fanfiction under the name 'hpheart'. Urm...yea. Be nice?**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter. Neither do I own Fiction by Avenged Sevenfold - where the title comes from - or So Far Away, also by Avenged Sevenfold, where the lyrics at the end come from. :)  
**

George is sitting in the Great Hall, at the long table normally reserved for Gryffindor, purely out of custom although each and every house that stayed to help in the fight are mixing freely, giving their consolations to people. He is facing the large windows, but turns every time he hears the doors open to admit another person. He is waiting. He has been waiting ever since he heard the announcement given by Voldemort. Waiting for his parents, his brothers (and he includes Harry in that), for his sisters (he sees Hermione as the sister that makes sure you get everything done on time, a rather less annoying female version of Percy), and most importantly, for Fred.

The doors open, and he looks up, out of habit more than anything now. This is the moment his world ends. His vision appears to shrink until all he can see, all he wants to see, is the distinctly red hair of a member of his family, and the all too familiar face of his twin. The people who bear the body are not important, they don't matter, nothing matters. He doesn't give a second glance to Lupin or Tonks, the two bodies who follow Fred's, for all his attention is on his brother.

People turn as the doors open, as he did. First there is silence, then the rustle of movement as people turn to find him in the crowd, to see his reaction, starting to mutter, mourning the loss of one of the legendary tricksters of Hogwarts. George doesn't care, can't bring himself to care. How can he when Fred is dead? After what seems like eternity, but can only be a minute or two, the body is placed on the floor, and still the people who carry the body don't matter. He swings his legs over the bench, sliding to his knees on the cold stone floor. He kneels there, beside Fred's head, and stretches out a shaking hand to touch him, as if a touch can bring him back.

"Fred..." he murmurs almost silently, feeling tears start to flow freely down his face, cutting through the grime and blood of battle. A scream, wrought with pain and grief, rips through the fuzz in George's mind as his mother enters the Great Hall and sees the body of her son, his twin kneeling next to him. She races down the aisle, flinging herself on top of his unmoving chest, already weeping uncontrollably. "My Freddie..." she whimpers, over and over again."My Freddie, my Freddie..."

George is again aware of people looking towards him, attention drawn by Molly's scream. One of these people is his father, standing in the doorway. He walks slowly down between the tables, as if by walking slowly he could stop the inevitable. Arthur drops to the floor next to George, stroking his wife's hair, and for the first time since he can remember, George sees his dad cry. Sees, but doesn't acknowledge.

His little sister is the next to arrive; stopping stock still the second she sees Fred's body. She gasps as he knees buckle, forcing her to sit on the bench behind her. Tears cut through the grime on her face like so many curses have cut though bodies that night. No one has attempted to comfort George yet. They are all absorbed in their own grief of the loss of their brother, their son. For this, he is grateful. He wants to block everything out, for everything to just..._stop._

Bill and Fleur are the next members of the family to arrive. Bill's face drops, all colour draining from it, making his scars even more prominent than usual. He attempts to shield Fleur from the view - this is his sadness, and even though she is now a member of the family, he somehow doesn't want to share it with her. She does see the body, however, and her beautiful face turns grey. She turns into Bill's shoulder, hiding under her sheet of hair. A few muttered comments in French drift from under her cover, her way of giving remembrance to her brother-in-law.

Percy is the only member who doesn't immediately stop at the sight. He has already worked his rage and grief out on Rookwood. He is the first to notice George, to offer him the comfort he doesn't want. He drops to his knees on the stone beside him, and puts an arm around his shoulders, attempts to pull him closer. George resists, but can't bear to just push him off, not when he has been so recently reconciled with the family. He instead endures the forced contact until Percy stands up and goes to sit by Ginny.

Charlie stops in the doorway of the Great Hall, searching for his family. It doesn't take long for him to see the red-haired mass in between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, to see the absolute grief on George's face, on everyone else's face. He puts two and two together, and turns on his heel, striding away from the hall, wiping tears as he goes. He knows it is cowardly, but for some reason he can't bring himself to deal with the loss of his brother.

When Ron arrives, he goes over to Percy, Bill and Fleur, somehow knowing, like the others, not to try to talk to George. He, like Percy, has already worked out his rage on his many opponents. Hermione arrives with him, going straight to Ginny, giving her the comfort only another girl could.

Mrs. Weasley is still crying, Mr. Weasley still stroking her hair and crying himself. George still hasn't moved from his place by his brother's head. People glance over from time to time at the grieving family. They are not the only ones who will feel a great loss at the death of Fred Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley gets her chance to prove her worth, to avenge her Fred, later that night. She is mourning the apparent loss of another son, Harry, when she sees Bellatrix shoot a killing curse perilously close to her daughter's head.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" she screams, incensed at the loss of two children already, and not wanting to feel the pain of losing her only daughter. Her whole being is concentrated on Bellatrix Lestrange, on destroying the despicable woman. George manages to raise himself from the haze in his mind to be terrified for his mother. Terror which turns to elation when Bellatrix falls backwards, the ghost of her last laugh still etched upon her face.

When Harry casts his last spell, and Voldemort falls for the final time, George cannot help but think it was all for nothing. He's happy, of course he's happy. Voldemort has finally been defeated, and Harry can have his life back. The wizarding World can go back to normal, but he can't. Nothing will ever be normal again now, at least, not for him. His partner in crime, his other half, his brother, his _twin_ is gone.

_Plans of what our future holds_

_Foolish lies of growing old_

_It seems we're so invincible_

_The truth is so cold_


End file.
